Levi Strauss and Marks & Spencer launch fashion renewable energy initiative

Levi Strauss & Co. and Marks & Spencer have launched the ‘Fashion Renewable Collaborative’ (FRC) to increase the use of renewable electricity within global fashion supply chains. Working alongside Schneider Electric’s advisory division, SE Advisory Services, the initiative aims to help manufacturers understand, access, and implement renewable energy solutions.

The program addresses significant hurdles faced by suppliers, including market barriers, limited resources, and a lack of cooperation. According to the Apparel Impact Institute, textile processing facilities, such as fabric mills and dye houses, account for more than half of the apparel industry’s emissions. Transitioning these central nodes of the supply chain to renewable energy is considered one of the most scalable methods for achieving industry-wide climate goals.

Announced during Climate Week NYC, the FRC seeks to provide a comprehensive framework that reduces the burden on suppliers while accelerating decarbonization across the sector. This aligns with the ‘Roadmap to Net Zero’ program by the World Resources Institute and the Apparel Impact Institute, which identifies manufacturing energy transitions as a primary tool for reducing industry emissions.